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Chapters 1 thru 3 show how the mind of God is revealed to Hosea by "signs". The narrative of these chapters may very well be an "allegorical parable" but for our study, we will assume them to be historical events. Hosea is first instructed by the Lord to go and take a harlot for a wife. Hosea went and took a prostitute by the name of Gomer to be his wife. She bore him three children. The Prophet was instructed to show Israel their ultimate ruin in the naming of these children.
The first was a son. God told Hosea to name him Jezreel. Jezeeel signified, "Scattered of God". The second child was a daughter. God told Hosea to name her Lo-ru-ha-mah, which signified, "not loved or pitied". The third child was a son. God told Hosea to name him, Lo-ammi, which signified "not my people". This prophecy came true some 15 years later when the Assyrian King Shalmaneser the fifth besieged Samaria and in 722 B.C, Shalmaneser the fifth died and was replaced by King Sargon II who deported 27,290 Israelites and scattered them throughout the Assyrian Empire. Hosea does give some hope to those people by telling them that in "the fullness of time", Israel would be restored to the Promised Land, something that as of now is just starting to take place. That restoration of the people of Israel here called Jezreel, shall be as great as was their judgment.
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